Measuring unit for lubricating systems



Sept. l, 1931. G. l.. MOORE 1,821,314l

MEASURING UNIT FOR LUBRICATING SYSTES l-ile'd Jan. 18, 1926 lll/4:5257

. Patented Sept. l, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE GEORGE L. MOORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORLTO ALEMITE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE MEASURING UNIT FOR LUBRICATIN G SYSTEMS Applicationled January 18, 1926. Serial No. 82,075.

My invention relates to lubricating systems by means of which a lubricant may be delivered from a central staion to a plurality of remote points in measured quantities and without any possibility of delivering an excessive quantity at any point; and the objectotl the present invention is to roduce a simple and novel measuring unit or use at a discharge or Idelivery point in such a system.

The various features of novelty whereb my invention is characterized will hereina ter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference mayl be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical section through one of my improved devices and a fragment of a member containing a bearing to be lubricated; F ig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing a different position of the movable element; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

1 Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a casing adapted to be screwed or otherwise atached to' a support A which contains a bearing to be lubricated. The casing contains an upper chamber 2 and a lower chamber 3 connected together by a long central cylindrical passage or bore 4. Lubricant is supplied into the upper chamber through a suitable conduit 5, and the lubricant is ,discharged from 'the device through an outlet port 6 leading out of the bottom of the lower chamber 3.

Slidable within the bore passage 4: is a shuttle-likedevice which, in the form shown, comprises two cylindrical end portions 7 and 8 connected by a stem 9; the parts or heads 7 and 8 'having a sliding t in said bore or passage. The length of the stem is less than the length of the bore or passage so that whenever one of the piston-like heads lies in whole or in part in said bore or passage, communication between the chambers 2 and 3 will be interrupled. Below the shuttle'is a spring 10 that. normallyfholds the same up in about the position shown in Fig.

l, with the head 7 lying within the chamber 2 above the iassage, whereby the lubricant, indica* ed at may flow into the upper portion of the passage around the same. When pressure is applied to the lubricant at the central station, so as to force the lubricant toward the various measuring units of the system, the shuttle will be pressed down against the resistance of the spring so as first. to interrupt communication between the upper chamber 2 and the passage 4, and then carry the lower head 8 below the lower end of the passage. As the shuttle movesdown from the position shown in Fig. l, a quantity of the lubricant is trapped between the heads and is carried down through the passage. As soon as the lower head has travelled down far enough t0 clear the lower end of the passage, the lubricant that has been carried along with the shuttle flows into the lower chamber 3 and from there can pass through the outlet 6 into the bearing to be lubricated. In the arrangement shown, the parts are so proportioned that the spring will he completely closed before the upper head reaches the lower end of the passage, thus preventing the shuttle from being forced completely through the passage. Vhere a central spring, arranged directly over the discharge outlet, is employed, there may be an auxiliary discharge outlet 0r passage 11 through which the lubricant may llow in the event that pressure is maintained at the source after the spring has been closed.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a measuring device that positively shuts oil` the main body of lubricating material before any of such material can be delivered to the discharge outlet, so that under no conditions can there be established an open passage between the upper chamber, that is, the main supply of lubricating material, and the lower chamber, which would result in the delivery of an excessive amount of lubricating material to the bearing. Viewed in one aspect, the upper end ot' the passage 4 may be regarded as the effective inlet of the device, and the lower end of this passage may be said to be the effective outlet of the device. Therefore it will be seen that I have provided an outlet, a movable shuttle in said device means for positively closing the inlet before the outlet is opened and for positively clos- I ingr the outlet before the inlet is opened.

While l have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus iln lustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come Within the definitions of in v invention constitue,

ing the appended claims.

l claim: l. A measuring device having an inlet and an outlet, a shuttle in said device having a pocket to receive lubricant from the inlet and deliver it to the outlet, said shuttle having ends of equal cross-section, a spring)T tending vconstantlyv to hold said shuttle in a position in which said pocket communicates with the inlet and is out of communication with the outlet, and said shuttle being adapted to be moved by fluid pressure at the inlet tov close communication between the pocket and the inlet and place said' pocket in lcommunication with the outlet.

2. A measuring device having an inlet and having a pocket therein, the parts being so constructed and arranged that when the shuttle is moved in one direction it first interrupt-s communication between the pocket and the inlet and then opens communication Y between the pocket and the outlet and when it is moved in the opposite direction it first interrupts communication between the pocket andthe outlet and then opens com-A inu'ni'cation between the pocket and the inn let. and a spring tending' constantly to move said shuttle in the second of said directions, and the shuttle being exposed to the liquid at'tl'ie inlet and being adapted to be moved in the tirst of said ldirections by the liquid at. the inlet when the pressure reaches a predetermined value.

3. A measuring device comprising an upper and a lower chamber connected together by a long passage of uniform cross-section, slmttle fitting slidably in saitL passage, said shuttle having in the .side a 'poeliet shorter tendine; constantly to hold the shuttle in such i position that the pocket communicates with Jhe uppenchamber, the upper chamber havan inlet for fluid and the lower chamber .iaving a fluid outlet, said shuttle movable in opposition to said spring responsive to neiease in lubricant pressure in said upper chamber.

ln testimonywliereof, l sign this specification.

GEORGE L. MGORE.

aan the length ot said passage, aud a spring' 

